REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - A large collection of rare books and magazines has been donated to Indonesia with the hope of inspiring this country’s new generation of documentary and film makers, as cited in a press release from the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. The large collection was donated by renowned Australian documentary film maker, the late John Darling.
Mr Darling’s wife, Sara Darling, last week visited Sinematek Indonesia to see the collection on the shelves of Sinematek’s library in Kuningan, Jakarta. Mrs Darling said she hoped that the books would be used by young Indonesian film and documentary makers, students and researchers.
“Many of these books and magazines were not available in Indonesia when they were initially in print. Now they are out of print, these volumes are very difficult or impossible to get hold of,” Mrs Darling said. “I hope – and it was John’s wish – that these books would find a new home in Indonesia where they could inspire the next generation,” she said.
Darling lived for many years in Bali. His films have been screened around the world in cinemas and on television. A retrospective of his work was screened at the Jakarta International Film Festival in 2004. His documentary films include Lempad of Bali (1978), Bali Hash (1985) and the 1987 Bali Tryptych series (Between the Mountain and the Sea, The Path of the Soul and Demons and Deities), and Below the Wind (1994). Darling’s last documentary, The Healing of Bali (2003), was made in the 12 months after the 2002 Bali Bombings and was co-produced by his wife Sara.